The analysis of medicine use is one of the key tools for assessing the efficiency and equity of the healthcare system. With this in mind, AIFA has published the Regional Reports on Medicine Consumption, which provide an analytical and detailed overview of medicine use within each Region during 2024.

The analysis covers the entire system of medicine dispensing: for each Region, a report has been compiled using the same database as that used for the 2024 OsMed Report, containing information that allows for the reconstruction of regional pharmaceutical care in both local and hospital settings, whether funded by the National Health Service or through private purchase by citizens.

The Reports thus provide a detailed snapshot of medicine consumption and expenditure at regional level; the data are organised by therapeutic category and active ingredient, identifying the medicines with the greatest economic impact and the widest prescription coverage, alongside comparisons with the previous year and the national average. This makes it possible to highlight regional specificities, evolving trends and potential areas for improvement.

In particular, the data are presented by subgroups of the most frequently prescribed medicines in 2024, such as antibiotics, anticancer drugs and medicines for hypertension, and include a focus on biosimilars and equivalents – again in comparison with the national average – and on the consumption of medicines subject to AIFA Notes.

Methodologically, the OsMed flow was used to analyse consumption under the national health service scheme, and the Drug Traceability flow was used for the consumption of medicines purchased by healthcare facilities and to assess out-of-pocket expenditure by citizens, in relation to medicines dispensed at local public and private pharmacies.

The regional reports also enable an analysis of the factors driving variations in expenditure, aiming to provide the Regions and Autonomous Provinces with a useful framework for guiding pharmaceutical policies and enhancing the efficiency of healthcare provision.